Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America

This book should be required reading for every high school senior and every college junior in the nation whether they agree with the author or not the seed needs to be planted. Most of his ideas will not be implemented in the next 8 year cycle but maybe the younger generation will take up the torch in 2016. If they don't this great nation will become just another third world socialist paradise that mother Russia never quite achieved.

In this latest work by Newt Gingrich, he tackles many issues that have either been ignored over the last 30 years (e.g. Social Security reform), or have needed reform due to slow corrosion (e.g. the courts). Some of the issues at hand in this work are, 1) How we can effectively deal with terrorism in the world; 2) Social Security reform; 3) Keeping God center stage in this country; 4) Reforming the courts (esp. the ninth circuit) to adhere more closely to the constitution; 5) Immigration, education and health care reform; 6) Health and wellness, disabilities and how to effectively reform health care in this country; 7) Making the American name in trade a worthwhile name; 8) Balancing the federal budget, and much more. The work is quite ambitious in many areas (esp. in the legal reforming of the courts), but somebody has to step up to the plate and swing hard. I think Gingrich does this in this work. Unfortunately, because at times he is very ambitious in his ideas, many will think what he declares impossible tasks. The interesting thing though, is I have yet to read anyone else who covers so many issues and has any plans at all with the issues covered, to bring positive reform that is way overdue. Once again, I think Gingrich does this! Some of the better chapters in the book are chapter one (fighting terrorism), chapter four (reforming the courts to abide by the constitution - this chapter and the things Gingrich covers here have bothered me for years, I am glad to see that he takes these things so seriously, because this single issue has caused a slow decay morally, ethically, and legally in this country over and against anything else I can think of), and there is a really nice appendix (appendix B), where Gingrich takes his reader through a verbal tour of D.C. and describes all the sites which make reference to God in one way or the other. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I also appreciate the issues that Gingrich lays on the table and the suggestions he makes in how to deal with these issues. This is one of the better current events/political science books I have read (on immediate issues which need reform) in a long while. I can't help but this that Newt Gingrich is gearing up to run for President (?)

As has become the norm, Mr. Gingrich is one step ahead of his contemporaries. This book is not more of the same just reworded to make a buck or check a block, rather it is a very specific prescription for what ails the country. Gringrich covers nearly the whole spectrum and some of what he says will definitely surprise you! Who would have thought that in the Post 9/11 era, someone in the know would be an advocate for making the VISA process simplier. But Mr. Gingrich makes a reasoned arguement that has me convinced he is absolutely right. Who knows better than a historian, that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it? Gingrich recalls the step of the past that we took as a nation that made us worldwide leaders of science and innovation, and what we need to do right now to maintain that preemminence. Mr. Gingrich covers the war on terror, the role of religion in the public square, the economy, the national education system, the health care system, the legal system from top to bottom, social security, and even overhauling the federal government. And everything he mentions, he does with convincing knowledge and authority. If this book doesn't make you think long and hard, little else will! I have read books by politicians who wanted to be president before, and I don't recall any that were as prescriptive as Newt has been in this book. It would surprise me if this in not his first salvo in the 2008 race for the presidency.

Newt Gingrich has again greatly contributed to the political discourse that continues to grip the nation. In an era which can now be called `Red state versus Blue state', Gingrich writes a concise manifesto (that thankfully doesn't fall into an academic polemic) which tackles issues at the forefront of our nation today: terrorism (probably his most formidable section), health, Social Security, education, immigration, and the cultural values debate. As is Gingrich's style, it's hard to box him into one category labeled "conservative" or "liberal"; rather, it seems his political philosophy is expressed as "America first." His belief in open legal immigration, for example, might go against some people's expectations of him, but we see that in pushing for what he calls a "patriotic immigration", Gingrich wishes for an America that still welcomes all, but at the same time still teaches newly arrived peoples American values. This book is not without controversy; the section on activist judges and the centrality of God in defining America are sure to ruffle more than a few feathers. Then again, the Newt Gingrich we know is not one to ever shy away from expressing honest opinions and beliefs, so his ability to speak politically without necessarily being political (diplomatic) is commendable. Winning The Future is an extremely important blueprint for either the Republicans and/or Democrats. There's no reason to think that Gingrich's book is for Republicans only. For any party, for any politician, and for any citizen, the opportunities presented here to help steer - and change - the course of American civilization are bountiful. Let's hope in the near future at least some of Gingrich's ideas presented in this book are implemented for the benefit of the American people. There are too few politicians of Newt Gingrich's caliber to think and address important issues as expressed in Winning The Future. His leadership and ideas are needed more than ever.